Internationally acclaimed conductor, Nir Kabaretti, is the Music and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in California, and the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva.
Described as “a conductor with immense musicality and warm personality” by his mentor Maestro Zubin Mehta, Kabaretti has earned an impressive reputation across continents for his command of a vast symphonic, operatic and ballet repertoire.
Maestro Kabaretti has worked with some of the world’s most sought-after musicians, leading opera houses, and renowned orchestras. Some of his collaborators include Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Joyce Di Donato, Itzhak Perlman, Vadim Repin and Hélène Grimaud.
As guest conductor, Kabaretti keeps a busy international schedule throughout the year. Some of his appearances have included the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orchestre Philharmonie Royale de Liège, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Buenos Aires, Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogotà, Orchestre National du Theatre du Capitole de Toulouse, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano “La Verdi”, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Madrid, Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria, Real Orchesta Sinfònica de Sevilla and the Bochumer Symphoniker.
Kabaretti’s Opera and Ballet productions include The Diary of Anne Frank, a guest production of the Vienna State Opera performed at the Bregenz Festival and Expo 2000 in Hannover. In 2004 Kabaretti made his debut at Teatro alla Scala di Milano and 2005 lead Teatro San Carlo di Napoli on its first tour to Japan, conducting Il Trovatore both in Kyoto and Tokyo. In 2010, Kabaretti debuted at the summer season of the Caracalla Roman Bath in Rome, and in 2019 made his debut at the Puccini Festival with Madama Butterfly. 2023 started for Maestro Kabaretti with a debut in Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Nir Kabaretti recorded for Deutsche Gramophone 5 CD’s of modern piano concerti for young pianists, a DVD of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and in 2022 he recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Pianist Roberto Prosseda four Italian Piano Concerti of the 20th century.
Graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Kabaretti was appointed Chorus Master of the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival. Other positions in his early career include assistant to the Music Director of Teatro Real in Madrid and Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in Italy, and Music Director of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra in Israel. He served as the Music Director of the Southwest Florida Symphony between 2014-2021.
Nir Kabaretti received the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Grant for Young Conductors. In 1993, he won the Forum Junger Künstler Conducting Competition in Vienna. In 1994 he was among the finalists in the International Competition for Conductors in Douai, France.
Nir Kabaretti is fluent in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Hebrew.